Strong Community, Healthy State

Strong Community, Healthy State

Strengthening the non-Government Community Services Sector

Who we are

SACOSS, the Association of Major Community Organisations (AMCO), the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) represent a large number of agencies and workers in the community services sector in SA. We have formed a campaign group to address the urgent issues that are threatening our sector’s future capacity to deliver quality services to vulnerable and disadvantaged South Australians. Our campaign is called Strong Community, Healthy State .

Our purpose

The purpose of the Strong Community, Healthy State campaign is to work cooperatively, employees, employers and Unions alike, to strengthen the non-government community services sector. We have developed a set of core principles which we will campaign for in partnership with all stakeholders in the sector who wish to work together towards a Strong Community, Healthy State. These principles recognise that the ability to offer secure employment creates a stronger, more cohesive sector that enhances our ability to provide high quality services to disadvantaged and vulnerable South Australians and are as follows:

1. Jobs must be decent jobs and come with fair wages and be offered on a permanent or long-term contract basis.
2. Development of a workforce attraction and retention strategy.
3. Minimum guaranteed hours, with upward flexibility and reasonable workloads.
4. Provision of structured career paths and development programs
5. Establishment of mechanisms for wage increases and improvements.
6. Workers should be able to develop career paths that recognise their skills and experience.
7. Development of facilitative structures that allow mobility throughout the sector for workers.
8. Ensure that job classification structures match the work performed.
9. Developing structures that distinguish differing modes of employment
(eg working from home).
10. A well-trained workforce, to maximise the quality of services to client.

The campaign group is striving to be open and frank in its dialogue to address the issues facing the industry and to develop a collective approach for strategies to improve our ability to deliver high quality services to vulnerable and disadvantaged South Australians.

What needs to be done?

Following a period of economic growth in the state, there has been an expansion in job opportunities in a range of sectors. There has been a corresponding growth in community services; however, the growth of better remunerated opportunities in other industries, combined with an ageing profile for the community sector workforce, has seen experienced workers leave the community services sector to move to sectors providing better conditions and pay.

As is the case globally, in SA the sector faces: increased responsibilities and regulation with less funding; competition for scarce resources; a shortage of volunteers; and a predominantly female workforce strongly motivated by values and a commitment to their work but impacted by heavy workloads, long hours and low pay. Workforce development is an increasingly common focus of attention in the face of the predicted impact of changing demographics in the community services sector. Given the client group of the sector, which commonly includes vulnerable adults, families and children at risk, it is imperative that community services agencies have the best and most skilled staff available to them.
The campaign group is keen to undertake concrete actions to address those issues discussed above that threaten the sustainability of the sector and its ability to deliver high quality services to disadvantaged and vulnerable South Australians. In pursuing these actions, the campaign group is committed to harmonious industrial relations within the sector. The campaign group is also concerned that the federal industrial relations changes have the potential to adversely impact on the sector and, specifically, worsen conditions for workers. This would only exacerbate those issues currently facing the sector. As part of its commitment to sector strengthening, the campaign group is committed to pursuing a course that will preserve and build upon existing conditions within the sector, through a process that engages employers, workers and Unions.

We are not seeking wage parity with the public service but we are seeking to diminish the gap in salary levels between the two sectors. We do not seek to compete with the government as an employer but we do recognise that, where flexibility and personal commitment to their work is not enough to compensate staff for significantly lower wages, they are moving out of the community services sector to sectors where the financial rewards are much higher. The result of this trend will be a significant impact on the ability of the sector to provide a safe and productive environment for staff and clients

How we will achieve a Strong Community, Healthy State

To mitigate these urgent issues, enhance service delivery and reduce risk, the campaign group is seeking additional state government funding to cover a graduated wage increase over three years for workers employed under the South Australian SACS, CASH, Clerks, Disability and other employer specific Awards in state-funded programs. We request this funding increase as a matter of priority, as an urgent injection of funds required to retain existing staff within the sector.

At a federal level, a concurrent campaign is in development with national, state and territory Councils of Social Service and the unions to work towards similar increases for workers employed in agencies that receive federal funding.

 The first increase for which we seek additional funding is 10%. We seek further funding for two additional increases, each of 5%, to be paid over the following two years.

The Strong Community, Healthy State campaign group acknowledges the need for rigorous accountability arrangements for the use of public money that link quality and standards of service delivery and employment practices. With this in mind, we propose that the increased funding be provided specifically for the purposes of salary increases and that funding not be increased to any organisation that does not pass it on to workers in the form of improved salaries. The group is currently exploring options for securing wage increases to be applied in a fair, equitable and legal manner.

It is the aim of the Strong Community, Healthy State Campaign group that through campaigning and lobbying, the first tier of wage increases (i.e., 10%) will be funded in the 2007/2008 budget. 

NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTOR AND SUPPORTERS TO WORK COLLECTIVELY AND CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR SECTOR AND FOR VULNERABLE AND DISADVANTAGED SOUTH AUSTRALIANS.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN: e-mail your details to strongcommunityhealthystate@gmail.com or phone 08 8305 4299